Tapping Touch By Ichiro Nakagawa, Ph.D.

Tapping Touch is a holistic method to care for each other and to live in harmony. It is performed by tapping gently with the balls of the fingers of the right and left hands alternately.

It is performed on non-invasive parts of the body such as shoulders & arms without undressing so that the receiver feels safe and comfortable. Its gentle tapping helps to release tension in the body and mind and to increase a sense of wellness, positive feelings and thoughts.

Tapping Touch is made very simple so that it requires no particular expertise or strength, and that anyone of any age can learn the technique and enjoy practicing it. Furthermore, it is applicable and useful in specialized areas such as psychology, education, medicine/nursing and social-welfare. It has been used in disaster relief, trauma care, hospice, bodywork, peace activity, and even care for pets and animals.

Tapping Touch was first developed through the integration of therapeutic elements, which were proven effective through clinical uses and researches. Yet, as peoples' experiences and feedback were incorporated, it became more like a natural expression of caring for each other.

Tapping Touch gently awakens our inner wisdom and our tendency to be healthy, and it reminds us of the joy in caring for each other and living together in harmony. So, as more and more people care for each other using Tapping Touch, individuals, families and communities will be gently empowered, and the Earth itself will regain its wellness.

As a clinical psychologist, I have found that people who get in touch with their own internal resources of wisdom and connectedness are often then able to regain their health and energy.

I also believe that it is important for all of us to support each other in our journey toward better physical and emotional health, rather than to depend entirely on professional care.

With this in mind, with the help of many colleagues and professionals, I developed Tapping Touch to help individuals, families and communities return to natural health and good relationships. It is a very simple and effective method to help people care for each other.

Since its conception in 1999 in Japan, Tapping Touch has been used in various fields. In general usages, it has been used to reduce daily stress and improve family relationships. It is also used in childbirth and childrearing. Occasionally, I hear from pets's owners that their cats or dogs became healthier and more sociable after doing Tapping Touch.

In education, Tapping Touch has been useful in supporting students who have difficulties in going to school due to tension and anxiety. In some schools, Tapping Touch, which provides a sense of safety and closeness, is used to improve relationships among students and teachers.

In the professional fields of human care, Tapping Touch has been clinically applied and scientifically studied. It has been shown to increase relaxation and positive feelings; whereas it reduces anxiety, tension, pain, stress symptoms, etc.

In the field of medicine and nursing, we have shown that it is applicable not only to patients in general, but also those patients who are treated at a hospice or palliative hospital ward. Therefore, an increasing number of universities and professional associations are now interested in Tapping Touch, and some have began using it in their care of patients and families.

In terms of scientific research, there have been many studies conducted to assess the effectiveness of Tapping Touch. As described later, there are: 1) psychological effects (a sense of peace & relaxation; reduction of tension and anxiety), 2) physical effects (a sense of comfort & refreshed energy; reduction of tension, pain & stress symptoms), 3) relational effects (a sense of safety and closeness; willingness to speak and relate with each other is increased).

Recent studies include the assessment of change in the level of serotonin, conducted at Toho University in Japan. Their results have shown that Tapping Touch increases the level of serotonin. Since serotonin is known to play an important role in the level of anxiety, pain and depression, we believe that Tapping Touch is an effective approach to reduce peoples's suffering and dependence on medication.

Furthermore, natural disasters are getting larger and increasing due to current global weather changes. Tapping Touch is very useful in this field as well. For example, recently there have been some giant earthquakes in the northern part of Japan. There, Tapping Touch was introduced to alleviate the level of anxiety and trauma among earthquake victims. In Thailand, we have helped Thai children who were traumatized by the Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami.

In short, Tapping Touch is very simple and effective in terms of any human care. It is very easy for anyone to learn and to do with each other at any time and any place. It requires nothing except people. Also, it seems to have no barriers in terms of languages, cultures, or professional fields. I believe that Tapping Touch will spread globally and help people care for each other as we humans used to do quite well.